Manslaughter FIR lodged against fugitive owner in Karachi building collapse case

KARACHI: As police on Thursday registered a case against the owner of the building that collapsed in Shah Faisal Colony on Wednesday, in which five people were killed, interim Sindh Chief Minister retired Justice Maqbool Baqar questioned the role of the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) and suspended its four officers while setting up an inquiry committee to probe into the incident.

Shah Faisal Colony SHO Inspector Saqib Khan said that the police had registered an FIR (471/2023) against Waziruddin, who’s the owner of the 40 square-yards plot in Shah Faisal Colony No5 where a three-storey building was being raised illegally, under Section 322 (manslaughter) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

The owner, he said, was himself the contractor supervising the construction and had hired labourers for the particular task.

Responding to a question about making any arrest, the officer said that the suspect in the case was on the run after the incident and efforts were being made to trace him.

Four SBCA officials suspended as inquiry committee formed

“Multiple raids have been made today [Thursday]. There’s no success yet but we’ll get him soon,” he added.

Five people, including two brothers, were killed and four others injured when an under-construction building collapsed in Shah Faisal Colony on Wednesday afternoon.

The police said that the labourers were laying reinforced cement concrete (RCC) roof on the third floor when the building collapsed as apparently the structure could not withstand the weight of two RCC roofs on first and second floors.

CM takes notice

Meanwhile, taking serious notice of the incident, the interim CM placed the services of four officers of the SBCA, including a director, under suspension.

In a statement issued by CM House, it was said that Justice Baqar had raised questions over the performance of the watchdog in the city amid growing complaints of violation of building code and by-laws.

“If such constructions were allowed people would be killed and this would not be allowed at any cost,” the statement quoted the CM as saying.

The suspended officers, it said, included director of SBCA Korangi Syed Muhammad Zia, assistant director Waseem Raja Thaheem, senior building inspector Tanveer Khan, and building inspector Khurram Rizwan.

Meanwhile, the SBCA on the orders of the chief minister has constituted a broad-based inquiry committee to probe the collapse of the building over plot No.1191, Block-5, measuring 80 square yards, Shah Faisal Town, Korangi.

Director of SBCA engineer Nadeem Ahmed (chairman), deputy director Faheem Murtaza (member), and assistant director Khalid Mansoor (member/secretary) will conduct the inquiry to examine the status of approval of the building plan and period of construction on the plot.

The inquiry committee would also ascertain the role of delinquent officers/officials of the SBCA and the authorities/agencies.